Vacuum cleaner appliances capable of picking up both wet and dry material, commonly referred to as wet/dry vacuums or wet/dry vacs, are well-known. Wet/dry vacs are often used in workshops and other environments where both wet and dry debris can accumulate.
Wet/dry vacs conventionally consist of a collection drum or canister, often mounted on wheels or casters, and a cover or lid upon which a motor and impeller assembly is mounted. The motor and impeller assembly creates a suction within the canister, such that debris and liquid are drawn in to the canister through an air inlet to which a flexible hose can be attached. A filter within the canister prevents incoming debris from escaping from the canister while allowing filtered air to escape. One example of a such a wet/dry vac is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,797,072.
Prior art examples of wet/dry vacuums include: U.S. Pat. No. 5,548,868 to Berfield et al., entitled "Pilot and Detent Apparatus for a Vacuum Device;" U.S. Pat. No. 5,535,500 to Stephens et al., entitled "Method for Manufacturing a Bucket for a Wet/Dry Vacuum;" U.S. Pat. No. 5,598,605 to Tomasiak, entitled "Wet/Dry Utility Vacuum with a Wheel Mount;" U.S. Pat. No. 5,555,600 to Corson, entitled "NonTipping Wet/Dry Vacuum;" U.S. Pat. No. 5,606,769 to Tomasiak, entitled "Wet/Dry Utility Vacuum Cleaner with Detachable Blower;" U.S. Pat. No. 5,608,945 to Crouser, et al., entitled "Wet/Dry Utility Vacuum Cleaner;" and U.S. Pat. No. 5,611,107 to Tomasiak et al., entitled "Latching Mechanism for Wet/Dry Utility Vacuum Cleaner with Detachable Blower."
In many wet/dry vac designs, the motor and impeller assembly is mounted on the cover or lid of the collection canister. That is, in many designs, the collection canister's lid carries and/or is integrally formed with the motor and impeller assembly. To facilitate the emptying of debris from the collection canister, the lid is preferably detachably affixed onto the collection canister. To this end, a latching mechanism of some sort is preferably provided for enabling a user to detach the lid from the canister.